The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its preliminary report on the Feb. 9 emergency landing by a single-engine plane on Browns Bridge Road but does not include the reason for the engine trouble the pilot said caused him to put the craft down.
Much of what it contains includes information released at time of the incident and shortly afterwards based on what the pilot said but it does reveal that the plane was on a flight to “build flight hours with a flight instructor to satisfy insurance requirements for single-pilot operations.” And it also go into more detail about the plane’s travels that day.
The plane originally left Gainesville and flew to Tennessee where it made two stops, one in Knoxville and the other in Blountville, before returning to Gainesville and subsequently taking off again, only have to make the emergency landing when the engine quit.
The pilot is quoted as saying the plane performed normally until the engine problem that developed when it left the Gainesville airport the second time that day.
A final NTSB report on the incident is not likely until later in the year or early next year.
NTSB PRELIMINARY REPORT:
“On February 09, 2026, about 1732 eastern standard time, a Beechcraft G36, N229TT, was
substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Gainesville, Georgia. The pilot
and flight instructor were uninjured, and two occupants of separate automobiles received
minor injuries.
According to the pilot, the purpose of the flight was to build flight hours with a flight instructor
to satisfy insurance requirements for single-pilot operations.
Preliminary ADS-B data showed that after departing from Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport (GVL), Gainesville, Georgia, the airplane flew north about 115 miles and performed an approach to the Knoxville Downtown Island Airport (DKX), Knoxville, Tennessee.
Shortly after departing DKX, the airplane flew about 90 miles east and landed at Tri-Cities Airport (TRI), Blountville, Tennessee. The airplane then departed TRI and returned to GVL. Shortly after arriving at GVL, the airplane departed again and flew northwest for about 4 miles. The airplane then made a 180° left turn and proceeded back toward GVL. After flying for about 2 miles, the airplane made another left turn and lined up with Browns Ridge Rd. The last preliminary data point showed the airplane flying just above Browns Bridge Rd.
The pilot and flight instructor reported that the previous legs of the flight were uneventful and
the airplane operated normally. The flight instructor reported that the second takeoff and
departure from GVL was normal; however, during the climb to their cruise altitude, the engine
rpm gauge indicated over 3,400 rpm (the maximum rpm of the engine was 2,700 rpm). The
engine rpm subsequently fluctuated between 1,600 and 3,400, and the engine ran rough and
sputtered.
They initiated a return to GVN, but determined they would be unable to reach the
runway, and elected to perform a forced landing to Browns Bridge Rd. During the forced
landing, the airplane impacted 3 automobiles. A postaccident examination of the airplane
revealed it had sustained substantial damage to the right wing and the fuselage.